Course subjects
Day 1: The Theoretical Day
Module 1: Getting Started
Getting started is often the single most difficult aspect of a writing assignment. This module provides guidance on how to get started and many of the decisions you will face as you go along.
Key decisions required including (perhaps most importantly) the purpose of the document.
Identifying the personnel who will be part of the project is important, even if the team consists of one - you!
Techniques and methodologies for researching and collating results are all useful especially when you are not the subject matter expert and have to rely on others within the team for information.
The technical brief, essentially a specifications document, and the criteria used to determine success and failure of the project.
Lab: Developing the technical brief
Module 2: Structure and Style
This module looks at the mechanics of technical writing. Most (if not all) technical writing assignments start with an outline of some sort. This module looks at outlines, how to create and use them, as well as where they are useful in the final document.
Abstracts are short descriptions of a technical document and every technical document must have one. How and where to use abstracts.
Many writers believe that content development is the hardest part of the technical writing project, but it is in fact the easiest. Techniques to apply when building content into technical documents. Paragraph and sentence structures are closely aligned to this providing some practical guidelines on content development.
Summaries are the opposite of abstracts - they typically go at the end. Well-written summaries are essential to long documents or technical writing that provides arguments for or against a particular topic or proposal.
Referencing techniques including cross-references, indexes, tables of contents, and other forms of references with guidance on where they are most appropriate.
Advice on formatting to enhance communication including headings and graphics.
Lab: Sub-editing a course manual
Module 3: Grammar
As a technical writer, it is your job to communicate and knowing English language rules comes with the territory. This module provides a basic refresher on English grammar and punctuation to avoid some of the more common grammatical faux pas that might affect your communication with the reader.
Punctuation and sentence structure. The emphasis here is to ensure your sentences are meaningful and have impact.
Allied to sentence structure is verb tense and verb-agreement, both of which are commonly confused. In fact, often using correct grammar just sounds wrong.
Concepts of active and passive voice with practical examples of when we should use passive voice.
Parts of speech (the building blocks of sentences) and commonly confused words, to help improve communication.
Lab: Proofreading exercise using a [fictitious] course manual
Day 2: The Practical Day
Module 4: Writing for the Web
Writing for the web is a different skill to writing for print - people read web pages differently to the way they read printed material. This module looks at the techniques to apply when writing copy for the web.
The content you will be writing and how it is different (yet similar) to print.
Making web content more user-friendly, including for those with disabilities, is likely to boost its acceptance with your readers, thus making it more successful;. Techniques to apply and guidance on usability.
The design of your website has synergy to printed material but its consumption is different. Guidance on its design and structure without making you an expert in HTML.
Consumers of website material (readers) are different from those reading printed material. The psychology of the website reader and how to structure your content, pages, and site to your advantage.
Guidance on making your website search-engine friendly with suggestions and tips to help boost its ranking in the results delivered for queries pertaining to your content.
Lab: Sub-editing a [fictitious] website
Module 5: Short Document Techniques
This module examines techniques specific to shorter documents with guidance on making them more compelling to consumers.
Forms: these short documents solicit information from users when consumed.
Techniques applicable to checklists including the rationale behind constructing them.
Related short document types: procedure documents, policy documents, fault documentation, change documentation, and specification documents.
Brochures and other marketing materials and the technical writing techniques that apply to them.
Lab: Building the enterprise compendium - forms, brochures, policy and procedure documents, and more
Module 6: Long Document Techniques
This module examines techniques to apply when presented with longer documents, if they differ from techniques on other document types.
What attributes make a document long.
The merits of master and sub-documents.
Long document types such as academic theses, textbooks, and course manuals. These long documents are representative of long document types a technical writer may encounter.
